Local area connection gone

[BriGy86]

I have no local area connection icon in the network connections folder any more even though I'm able to still get and use and internet connection.

I think it has to do with the Nvidia network monitoring software or control panel. any ideas?

I should probably also mention that I also had an IEEE 1394 connection. For a while that was the only thing that would be in the network connections folder. now that isn't even in there.

Also it takes for ever for the network connections window to come up.

This computer build is about 4 days old

The device manager shows that everything is fine.

MSI p6n SLI-FI with an on board NIC and Nvidia chip set.
4 gigs mushkin ram (XP only sees 3 by the way, insight to this would be helpful too)
EVGA 8800GTS video card
Thermaltake 700 Watt PSU
Intel E6600 CPU

 

[mechBgon]

4 gigs mushkin ram (XP only sees 3 by the way, insight to this would be helpful too)

32-bit Windows won't see all 4GB, in practice.

Try tracking down the network controller via the Device Manager, get its properties open, and make it show the network icon. Alternately, uninstall the nVidia stuffs that you installed and just install the driver itself.

 

[BriGy86]

about the Memory issue- A tech at MSI sent this,
The 4GB/3GB issue can be worked around which is an Microsoft OS issue, some information can be found here. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929580 This issue occurs with the 32-bit OS typically, but can be worked around by enabling PAE mode (Physical Address Extension). You can click on the link and there are some instructions there. It should take care of your issue.
-----
I tried adding that /PAE switch and it did nothing.

as for the Network driver I believe I have tried uninstalling the network driver and reinstalling it. I'll go ahead and do it again. I'll probably just take out all the Nvidia stuff and do it manually from the device manager. That's what you're suggesting right?

 

[mechBgon]

Not the driver itself, but the extra stuff, the Network Access Manger / nVidia Firewall, if it was installed.

The knowledgebase article mentioning the PAE switch is for Windows Server 2003 and Vista.

 

[BriGy86]

I sent a message back about the /PAE switch

I went ahead and un-installed all the Nvidia stuff except the display driver and still no luck. SVChost.exe takes up a lot of CPU usage when trying to open network connections. I'm beginning to think it might be windows related. Perhaps I'll try a repair from the disk.

would you like me to take any screen shots?

And thanks for your help by the way

 

[mechBgon]

Actually, I'm pretty sure the problem is that 8800GTS. I have a nice passively-cooled 6600 I'd trade for it, by the way...


...darn

Next easy thing to try: shut down and take out 2GB of the RAM (no, you don't have to send it to me ). Fire it up again. Any different, or is it the same as before?

 

[BriGy86]

talking about the memory issue right?

I have tried starting it up with only 3 sticks in there and it still tells me there are 3 gigs in it when i look at system properties.

 

[mechBgon]

Ok, and when there's just 3GB installed, do the network connections still go AWOL or are they present? That's what I'm getting at. If they're definitely still AWOL then try a System Restore back to before you installed nVidia's driver package. Then reinstall drivers but decline the NAM/firewall stuff.

I just went to MSI's site to try to get an owner's manual for your motherboard, and they're hacked again :roll: +1 for non-Admin user accounts.

 

[BriGy86]

I took the other stick of RAM out so now it's down to 2 gigs. It shows 2 gigs in the system properties but the network connections window still will not show up.

winsockfix also stalled a bit when I ran it. Looks like it had issues releasing the IP

.... the network connections window finally came up but it DID show the gateway connection but now its gone.

 

[mechBgon]

Are you seeing anything out of the ordinary in Task Manager? 100% load or weird processes or anything?

 

[BriGy86]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
Are you seeing anything out of the ordinary in Task Manager? 100% load or weird processes or anything?

there is an SVChost.exe process that is pretty high (around 80+)

but that's only when I try to open the network connections window.

 

[mechBgon]

I hereby declare it Badly Messed Up? :evil: Did you try a System Restore yet?

 

[John]

Originally posted by: BriGy86
I have no local area connection icon in the network connections folder any more even though I'm able to still get and use and internet connection.

I saw this happen on a customers pc a while back. Create a new user profile, log off/on to the new account and see if it shows up.

 

[BriGy86]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
I hereby declare it Badly Messed Up? :evil: Did you try a System Restore yet?

I haven't simply because I have it disabled , security issue right?

as for the new user account the situation, the issue still occurs when I log into the built in admin account.

BUT this account was not a newly created account so I'll go ahead and make a test one and see how it goes.

Other wise I might just reload and select to keep the current file system intact. and see how that goes with fixing windows and not deleting the stuff I've moved over already (I have a back up if it gets ugly though)

Mech, you think this might be because of the Hacked MSI site. I downloaded all sorts of drivers and Updated utilities from there with in the past few days.

*EDIT*
Same issue occurs even under the test account I created.

I'm going to try the reload, ill talk to you all in bit.

Thanks for the help again.

 

[BriGy86]

I reformated and chose to use the exsisting file system. that fixed the network connections issue but goofed up the user account files under documents and settings. So I'm going to just do a full reload. I'm thinking the issue was some sort of corrupt or bad file relating to pulling up the network info for the computer (possible some sort of .dll that wasn't registered or was registered inproperly)

thanks for all the help guys I appreciate it.

 

[Somedudenamedryan]

FYI, a lot of problems with dialup networking and PPPOE dsl is fixed with this: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/329441. Furthermore, a blank network connections is a symptom.